Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-03-12
A woman,s aift @ Pittsburg.

Low AhF8 lkO LLCLG OEGuLL6A II LILO
common council chamber a heated de-
bate over the Pittsburg possessions Of a
woman living in London, England,
writes Pittsburg correspondent OF the
New York Tribune. She is Mrs. Mary
Schenley, the widow OF a captain in the
English army, and the daughter OF Col.
Croghan, prominent In the early history
of Pittnburg. The value Of Mrs. Schen-
ley's I9nded possessions in this city Is
estimated at many millions OF dollars,
yet not one cent has been utilized in
improvements. A portion has been
leased. This includes the Point" dis
trict, at the intersection Of the MOnOn-
gahelR and Allegheny rivers-a very IN
desirable locality to live in-separated
from the business part of Pittsburg by
imaginary lines. Here are to be found
many dilapidated tenements, and nes-
lied among them Is the sole remnant Of
old FOrv Duquesne. 1t Is the officers
headquarters. The houses are owned
exclusively by their occupants. vino
have for many years leased the grounds
from Mrs. ScLenley, and any threatened
attempt at eviction has created great
CONSERVATION among the Irish Ameri-
cans, who form nine-tanths Of the pop
ulation. The new Exposition society
wants the city to grant for half a cen
fury the use OF the levee on the Ale
gheny side upon which 20 erect extern
sive buildings for exhibition purposes.
Mrs. Schenley, through her American
agent, offers to supplement the city
grant by the presentation Of a plot of
ground adjacent to the levee. On this
are erected a dozen OF houses, IN an ad-
vance state Of decay, and a renewal Of
the land lease having been refused, the
owners and occupants are necessarily
alarmed. They dePutized P. J.. DOnahoe
their representative In the common
council, to state their grievances. He
did so IN a speech which would have
done justice to q Dillon or a Saxon. He
appealed to the patriotism of his fellow
members. He asked them not to erect
this memorial to the "Father Of our
country" on land owned by an Eng
lishman.
r. B. Canadian retorted that his client
was born and resred on American soil,
and that her ancestors were here serving
the American government when many
the boys of Ireland.
To-day r. B. Carnahan, Mrs. Schen-
ley's legal representative in this city,
said: Mrs. Schenley has five daughters
and one son. Her eldest daughter is the
widOW of a younger son OF an English
lord. I can't recOllech his title The
second daughter married an Episcopal
clergyman Of England, and the third,
Agnes, Is the wife of a son of Sir Thorn
as Ridley, vino was under secretary OF
state during former administration of
the marquis OF Salisbury. Mrs. Schen-
ley is bordering on go yeprs OF age and
Is great sufferer from asthma, which
fOrbids OF her residence IN Pittsburg
In 1868 she spent one night in this city
"a night Of torture, during which the
constant burning OF Saltpetre In her
rooms was necessary During the re-
mainder of her visit she spent her nights
/ In the Allegheny mountains. For the
same reason she spends but three
mOnths-May, June, and July-in Lon
don. The rest Of the year she divides
/ between Brighton and Cannes, France,
where she has q cottage, and where she is
at the present time. Mrs. Sohenley's faith
er was born In Kentucky, and did not, I
| think, ever see active military service,
his title being merely honorary. It is
difficult to estimate the value Of Mrs.
Schenley's property In this city and Al
legheny, which latter includes nearly
| the entire Third ward Ten millions of
dollars would not be too high. What is
left Of the old fort and small plot sur
rounding it viii be presented to this
city. Mrs. Schenley has instructed me
to draw up a deed for that purpose, and
1 will shortly forward it to her"